Choosing farm business options

Who are you and where do you sit in the farm business spectrum? 

• Current farm business owner seeking collaboration opportunities to grow or consolidate your business  
• Late-career farmer seeking retirement or scaling back options 
• New entrant seeking new farm business opportunities 
• Stakeholder, including employee or family members, looking to be incorporated into the business by means of progression or security

Thinking about the pro’s and con’s of a collaborative business approach:

• What would you like to achieve?
• What may the other participants of the collaboration want to gain from the arrangement?
• How can it be formulated to ensure both parties ensure a balanced arrangement?

AHDB in conjunction with the APTF has formulated a 5-step plan to formulate your collaborative business plan:  

• Step 1 – Take stock Make a clear assessment of your assets, skills and experiences and what you’d like to achieve with them
• Step 2 – Find the right match Find the right combination of land, mindset and ambition
• Step 3 – Create a balanced agreement Work out how to share the risks and rewards of new business models to unlock future farming potential
• Step 4 – Select a legal framework Select the right framework for your business relationship, using tried and tested models to create positive outcomes
• Step 5 – Think long-term Be prepared for the inevitability of change: creating options, optimising resources, and building business relationships that will stand the test of time and life events